And the Free Syrian Army, an alliance of Turkish and Western-backed groups, announced it was declaring the Isis-held territory between the border and the town of al-Bab a “military zone”, declaring its intention to seize the area.
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Turkey’s operation, which involves tanks, fighter jets and special forces, is targeting both ISIL but also Syrian Kurdish forces that have been key to driving ISIL fighters out of other parts of the Syrian-Turkish border.
Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched on August 24, aims at improving security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the terror threat along Turkey’s border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery, and jets.
The US State Department would not confirm the details of Mr Erdogan’s statement, but an official said it was important that “local forces” were involved in the fight to deliver “a lasting defeat” to IS.
Canikli said 110 IS fighters and Kurdish militia had been killed since the operation began three months ago.
The offensive continues, and Russian Federation, who’s allied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says it’s greatly anxious by the movement of Turkish forces into Syrian territory. “That’s the point”, he said, adding that the YPG understood this and would not be allowed to hold Manbij.
Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli had announced earlier that Turkey may push deeper into Syria after securing a stretch of land next to their border. “The place we were living has been cleared of terrorists, this is why we are returning”.
Turkey has repeatedly demanded that the Kurdish YPG militia withdraw to the eastern side of the Euphrates, where there is a Kurdish-controlled canton.
The majority-Kurdish Afrin area has been under the control of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) since government forces pulled out in 2012.
Erdogan said he was ready to support such a plan, although he said a specific Turkish role would depend on further talks. Turkey views the YPG as a terror group linked to the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Erdogan, speaking on his plane after a visit to China, said President Barack Obama personally asked for joint action against the militants’ stronghold in Raqqa, about 60 miles south of the Turkish border, Hurriyet and other newspapers reported.
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The military said it had taken control of the Kantara, Es Sehid, Al Humran and Taslihuyuk settlements.
